Week of February 2, 2023
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DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
HighlandsRanchHerald.net
INSIDE: CALENDAR: PAGE 11 | VOICES: PAGE 12 | SPORTS: PAGE 24
Our in-depth look at the housing crisis
VOLUME 36 | ISSUE 9
Douglas County School District preps for school closures Highlands Ranch has biggest drop BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Douglas County School District is preparing to consolidate elementary schools in the Highlands Ranch area in 2026 due to declining enrollment, while looking to build new schools in surrounding neighborhoods. Superintendent Erin Kane and district staff presented plans to the school board on Jan. 24 addressing the drop in elementary school students in Highlands Ranch, an area of the district that is aging and seeing declining birth rates. The plan also elaborates on the need for new schools in developing parts of the district. Kane said the district is in the unique position of having an area experiencing a drop in enrollment surrounded by developing neighborhoods that require new schools, which will likely result in consolidation and construction at the same time. “Our hope is to begin to communicate to our community the challenge we’re facing with growth and decline,” Kane said. At this point in time, no specific schools have been identified for consolidation and the district is promising there will be no job loss.
High home prices, lack of supply sever metro residents from communities Low- and middle-income people struggle to live where they work BY ROBERT TANN COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
When Chris Laney moved into his new three-bedroom home last
summer, he felt like he’d won the lottery. After more than a decade of chasing the cheapest rent across the metro area, the Littleton bartender finally has a house to call his own. “I almost feel guilty that I have it,” said Laney, 49. Laney is one of a handful of residents who have secured housing through a subsidized program aimed at helping lower- and
middle-income people live where they work. But as cities and towns contend with historically high home costs and a lack of supply, residents like Laney have struggled to live in their communities. “I’ve always felt like I was just passing through instead of living somewhere, putting down roots,” said Laney. He has worked
Dealing with decline
Across the district, enrollment is expected to be down to 62,431 students in 2023 from 63,401 in 2022, according to projections from Western Demographics Inc. Both district schools and charter schools saw slightly decreased enrollment between 2021 and 2022 and are expected to see further loss next year. Data from Western Demographics shows that the biggest loss of students will be the north planning area, which covers Highlands Ranch and is predicted to lose around 2,300 students over the next five years. “We have stay-in-place communities, such as Highlands Ranch, where people moved and came here 20 or 30 years ago, they’re still here and their kids have grown out of our system
SEE PRICES, P14 SEE CLOSURES, P5